Biggles Goes Ballooning
Biggles Goes Ballooning is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy Issue 335, 7th July 1934. The story was subsequently gathered and published in 1935 in the anthology Biggles in France where it spanned chapters 1 and 2 and were titled Down to Earth! and A Desperate Chance!. The story, slightly revised, was later republished in 1956 as the first story in the anthology Biggles of 266 where it received the new title A Ride to Remember. In the Modern Boy sequence, this story is followed by Biggles and the Runaway Tank. Synopsis Biggles is shot down behind enemy lines and seizes an unusual conveyance to get home. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Colonel Raymond wants a volunteer for a special mission. Everyone steps forward but it's the Canadian Wells who gets the job. Biggles has to content himself with a test fight but while airborne, he spots a Camel. It is Wells, being attacked by a large formation of German Albatros fighters. Biggles manages to shoot down the enemy plane who had just shot down Wells but his own aircraft is damaged and makes a pancake landing onto the tops of some trees in a wood. Climbing down, he evades enemy patrols and sees an area where workmen are laying platforms of concrete although he doesn't understand the significance of it. He then comes across a German observation balloon unit in the process of reeling in its balloon. Mahoney turns up, evidently searching for Biggles, and strafes the area, causing the German balloon airmen to scatter. Biggles seizes the opportunity and makes a grab for the balloon basket, kicking away the airmen holding on to it and causing it to ascend. Once aloft, the balloon begins to drift towards British lines but his troubles are not over as he comes under fire from both German and British anti-aircraft guns. Then Mahoney shows up again and shoots up the balloon, setting it on fire. Fortunately Biggles had earlier on put on a parachute which he found in the balloon basket and he now takes a jump. Back at Maranique, he meets Major Mullen and Colonel Raymond and relates what has happened. He casually mentions the concrete platforms, which causes Raymond to spring to his feet with a sharp cry. It turns out they are emplacements for new long range German guns. Raymond had sent Wells to search for them and now Biggles has found them by accident. Characters *Biggles *Captain Mahoney *Major Mullen *Colonel Raymond *Leslie Binton *Wells *Flight Sergeant Smyth Aircraft *Sopwith Camel *Albatros - probably the Albatros D.V model *German observation balloon Places Visited *Maranique Mentioned Editorial Changes *In the version as printed in Biggles in France, the story is divided into 2 chapters. The first covers the events in the air until Biggles is shot down. The second starts just as he comes across the German balloon unit. *Some slight editorial changes were made when the stories were republished in Biggles of 266. **One occurence of "Gosh!" is removed. **One whole sentence/paragraph removed: "Golly!" he gasped and the sound of his voice in the eerie silence made him jump." The paragaphs before and after are simply merged and thus reads: "... purple shadows at the distant horizon. The deep rumble of the guns...." **"... wires and struts screaming a shrill crescendo wail." becomes "... wires and struts screaming protest." Why this change was made is not clear. **"The Hun pilot, fascinated by...." becomes "The German pilot, fascinated by...." But the new text has many other references to Hun pilot and Huns which have not been removed. Other Research Notes *Aerial Victories: Biggles 1, Albatros References to the past Incongruities *Here, as in several other stories in Biggles in France, Raymond is a colonel. This would be too early in the timeline if, as is commonly accepted, he is only promoted after Biggles Flies East. Chronology (see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories) *Biggles is a Second Lieutenant here, and Mahoney is his flight commander. *The events in this story are mentioned in the next one, Biggles and the Runaway Tank where it is specifically stated to be June (1917). Hence this present story is probably also June. Publication History *''The Modern Boy'', Issue 335, 7th July 1934 *''Biggles in France'', Boy's Friend Library No. 5017th November 1935 (as two chapters: Down to Earth, A Desperate Chance!) *''Biggles of 266'', Thames, 1955 (as A Ride to Remember) *''Biggles in France'', Red Fox, 1993 and subsequent reprints *''Biggles in France'', Norman Wright, 2009 Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories Category:World War One era short stories